afraid I bombed most recent phone interview

Argh….. as the title suggests, I am very afraid I bombed my most recent phone interview, and unfortunately, it was for the job I want the most. I was nervous beforehand because I’d recorded the time incorrectly in my PDA, and was ready to talk with the committee 2 hours before the scheduled call. I’d also ended up taking my 3 pm dose of ritalin 20 minutes late which made my nervousness worse. By the time they called at 3.40, the noon dose was gone, but the 3 pm dose hadn’t really kicked in yet. Not a good start!

They asked 4 “scripted” questions and invited me to talk as little or as much as I’d like about each item. These included:

1. Why apply to Small Midwestern Liberal Arts College?
2. Which advanced seminar courses would you like to teach?
3. What types of problem students have you experienced in the past, and how have you dealt with them?
4. 1 other question I can’t remember at the moment…

Interestingly, there was no question about how I bring faith into the classroom or my research, which contradicts the warning posted on the Chronicle’s discussion forums.

I answered the four questions rather briefly, and had trouble formulating sentences ( hope I won’t end up kicking myself forever over a late dose of ritalin). I then had quite a bit of time to ask my own questions. This part of the interview was more conversational, and I tried hard to put my best foot forward throughout this section. At least by then the medication had started to work and I could form complete sentences. Toward the end, however, I admitted that I thought I was too brief/vague in my responses to the original four questions, and asked them if they had any follow-ups for me. They did (about the advanced seminar courses), and I stumbled through my answer on this. After that, I thought I’d better call it an interview, and asked about their search timeline, which is a standard cue for “I’m done asking questions.” They then asked me to write a 1-page response to the college’s 70+ page mission statement within the next 48 hours. It will be tight, but it can be done if I drop some other tasks. I just don’t know if it will be enough to keep me on their list. At least I’ll know if I totally bombed the interview shortly after thanksgiving; if they’re still interested, I’ll go there to interview before the end of the school year.

I’m trying to stay positive about my chances. I thought I did badly on another interview earlier and was still invited to do a follow-up presentation. Also, despite my nervousness/awkwardness, I still felt like I connected with the faculty on the other end of the phone. This is as important as how I answered the questions at some institutions. They seemed impressed by my materials, and I know my letters of recommendation are strong. Knowing this might not be enough to keep panic from setting in.